THE FAITH OF OUR FATHERS
The Bible, in at Genesis and
out at Revelation, is God's inspired, errorless Word. A sacred record
which
from its beginning, describing paradise here on earth, to its end
picturing
paradise in heaven, was written, for
our guidance, Instruction, and salvation. Believe and trust every word
of
Scripture, every Gospel promise concerning your Savior! Then you will
have the
foundation that can never be weakened or shaken, because you have the
divine,
life-giving, heaven-bestowing Christ.
These, then, are the Bible's
five fundamental truths concerning Christ which you should believe.
Truth No.1: Jesus Christ is your God. Who
says this?
Your heavenly Father, when repeatedly He
calls Christ
"His Son"! The writers of the Old Testament, when they foresee Jesus,
the Messiah, as "the mighty God"! The writers of
the New Testament when they call Jesus, "God blessed for ever," or
kneel before Him to worship Him as "My Lord and my God!"
Christ Himself proved that He was the Almighty, for the miracles which
He
Himself performed are plainly the work of God.
Here He is in the Lord Jesus
Christ, "very God of very God." His triumphant "all power is
given unto Me in heaven and in earth" is a
personal guarantee of strength and victory to those who entrust
themselves to
His care. Don't be satisfied with any compromise or with any denial of
Scripture which makes Jesus good and godly, high and exalted, but still
a human
being, even as you and I. A human Christ can never help you, but a
divine
Christ can always deliver you.
Truth No.2: To save you, the Son of God was
born of
the virgin Mary and became man to take your
place in
suffering the guilt of your sins. Of course, you cannot understand Christ's being born a child. Even the Bible calls
it a great
"mystery"; but if you cannot explain a hundred other marvels of
nature which surround you in everyday life, why should you refuse to
accept
God's own revelation concerning the birth and incarnation of Jesus? An
American
church leader can rise up to contradict God's Word and to declare
flatly,
"I do not believe in the Virgin Birth:" but are you going to trust
men or God? Build your faith on the faultless foundation of the
prophets and
the apostles, "Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone."
Truth No.3: Moved by a limitless, heightless, depthless love for you, the son of
God, made
the Son of Man, gave Himself on
Don't let anyone keep you
from this foundation fact of faith! The Bible puts a curse on all who
contradict Christ's redemption. Paul declared: "But though we, or an
angel
from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that
which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed!"
Truth No.4: To prove that His sacrifice for
the sins
of the whole world has been accepted, and to give every believer the
victory
over the grave, Christ on the third day after His crucifixion publicly
triumphed over the tomb. If you want the assurance that the gruesome
grave is
not life's end, that through Jesus you shall live in a resurrected,
radiant
body, far too marvelous for human understanding; that the Son of God
has opened
the door of heaven for you, trust the foundation promise of Christ, "I
am
the resurrection, and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were
dead,
yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth
and believeth
in me shall never die. Believest thou
this?" (Jn 11:25, 26)
Truth No.5: The Savior, risen,
ascended, exalted at the right hand of His Father, will come again in
glory to
judge all unbelievers, but to bring His believers safely home to
heaven. The
day of that judgment is rapidly approaching. Scripture records for us
the signs
which are to foretell the beginning of the end and the approach of
Christ's
return. Never previously have these warnings been fulfilled so
frequently and
exactly as in the present moment. The time is drawing close, the Bible
teaches
us, when the earth will be destroyed by fire, and "the elements shall
melt
in fervent heat." Don't listen to those who say that the globe will not
be
consumed by fire, that matter is indestructible, that the world will go
on
forever! Even scientists who have no interest in the Bible as God's
Word are
writing and speaking about the end of the world as never before; and if
some
claim that man himself will be able to blow up the earth, why should
anyone
doubt that the Almighty will keep His Word and make an end of this
unbelieving,
sin-saturated sphere?
When we invite you to proclaim the Lord Jesus
Christ
your Savior, we do not hesitate to warn you that as soon as you stand
up for
Jesus, you will have to stand up against assaults on your faith. Yet
the battle
is worth the fighting. Make the "foundation... that is laid" for you,
"Jesus Christ!" Sing out with unswerving loyalty:
"My hope is built on
nothing less,
then, no matter how many know-it-all
opponents of
the faith ridicule your trust, you will find joy in Jesus and the
guarantee of
peace in your heart, love in your soul, praise on your lips and courage
in your
mind to meet the worst that life can bring with the confidence that
since you
are Christ's, purchased by Him at the price of His precious blood, you
can be
His forever, blessed with the assurance that everything which happens
to you
comes as the evidence of His love.
[Excerpts from the sermon, “You Too Should be a Fundamentalist,” September 25-1949.] [Note: The five truths just stated are summarized in the Nicene Creed, 381 AD]